Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
How Taxes Leave Some NHL Teams at a Disadvantage for Hockey’s Top Players
In the National Hockey League, an unrestricted free agent likely considers many factors when choosing a team: salary, coach, teammates, quality of the franchise, and position depth. A new study suggests that another factor is the personal income tax rate based on the team’s location. The joint study between the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Americans… -
opinion
Is There a Link Between Childhood Homelessness and Single Parenthood?
A new report from The National Center on Family Homelessness concludes that “the challenges of single parenting” is one of the leading causes of homelessness. This conclusion makes sense. Single-parenthood drastically increases the likelihood of poverty and the risks of negative outcomes for children. Tragically, today more than 40 percent of children are born outside of… -
news
Colorado’s New Welfare Rule Increases Benefits, Costs Taxpayers
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is six months less temporary and millions of dollars more expensive in Colorado after a state Department of Human Services rule change last year, documents show. Before the change, counties had to certify welfare recipients’ eligibility to receive benefits annually, but recipients had to submit monthly status reports to ensure… -
news
How Many Permits Does It Take for One Company to Build a New Plant in Pennsylvania?
PITTSBURGH — News earlier this month that Shell Chemicals would buy an industrial site in Beaver County is a major step in the company’s plans to bring thousands of jobs to western Pennsylvania. The purchase is necessary for some of the many, many permits that will be required before the project becomes a reality. The… -
opinion
Congress Needs to Remain Engaged on the ICANN Transition
The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has contracted with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to manage core functions of the Internet since ICANN was established in 1998, including managing policy and technical features of the Internet’s domain name system (DNS). Since the establishment of ICANN, the federal government has… -
opinion
How the War on Poverty Has Hurt American Marriage Rates
It is no accident that the collapse of marriage in America largely began with the War on Poverty and the proliferation of means-tested welfare programs that it fostered. When the War on Poverty began, only a single welfare program—Aid to Families with Dependent Children —assisted single parents. Today, dozens of programs provide benefits to families… -
opinion
MSNBC Shrill Is No Accident. It’s How Liberals Really Think.
It’s been more than 50 years since William F. Buckley first complained, “Though liberals do a great deal of talking about hearing other points of view, it sometimes shocks them to learn that there are other points of view.” Since then, things have only gotten worse. At the dawn of the Obama era, for example,… -
opinion
All of Jonathan Gruber’s Controversial Comments in a Single Two-Minute Video
Can’t keep up with all the Jonathan Gruber videos? American Commitment, the organization that released the first Gruber clip, has released a new video compiling all of the Obamacare architect’s controversial comments. -
opinion
Tebow’s Not Some Freak for (Still) Praying: Lots of Americans Do, Too
No one’s praying habits have attracted as much attention in recent years as those of former NFL player Tim Tebow. His public displays of faith, both on and off the football field, spurred attention, ignited debate, and even led to the Tebowing trend. Now, Christian singer Tanner Clark reveals Tebow’s priorities haven’t changed (hat tip: IJ… -
news
New Study Suggests Secondhand Marijuana Smoke Just as Dangerous as Tobacco Smoke
Secondhand marijuana smoke may be just as dangerous as secondhand tobacco smoke, according to a new study. “Smoke is smoke,” Matthew Springer, author of the study and an associate professor of medicine at University of California San Francisco, told CBS. “Both tobacco and marijuana smoke impair blood vessel function similarly. People should avoid both, and governments… -
news
Conservatives Wary as Texan Wins Bid to Head House’s Republican Study Group
Members of the House of Representatives' traditional conservative caucus voted this morning to make Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, their next leader, sparking recriminations about inappropriate influence from "establishment" leadership and open questions about whether the group had abandoned its conservative roots. Flores, 60, beat the supposed front-runner, South Carolinian Mick Mulvaney, 47, and fellow Texan Louie Gohmert, 61, for… -
opinion
Why Does Washington Want to Hide Science Data From the Public?
When federal bureaucrats drive up costs for American families and businesses through heavy-handed regulation, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for a solid scientific underpinning for that regulation. And it shouldn’t be too big of a burden for the federal government to make its data available to the public. Congressman David Schweikert’s, R-Ariz., Secret… -
news
An Obama Veto of Keystone XL Pipeline Would Be ‘Equivalent of Calling the American People Stupid,’ Boehner Says
House Speaker John Boehner had a firm warning for President Obama this morning: Vetoing a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline would be the “equivalent of calling the American people ‘stupid.’ ” “Vetoing an overwhelmingly popular bill would be a clear indication that he doesn’t care about the American people’s priorities,” Boehner said. The Ohio… -
opinion
For Once, a Court Sided With People Rather Than ‘Threatened’ Rodents
For the first time, a federal court has struck down a regulation under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 for exceeding the government’s constitutional power. The Endangered Species Act has long been known as a property owners’ curse and the most invincible law on the books. It is primarily a land-use control law that gives… -
opinion
The Best Photos of the USS George H.W. Bush’s Homecoming
After nine months of deployment, the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group returned home to Norfolk, Va., Saturday. The strike group, which includes an aircraft carrier named after the 41st president, carried out the first airstrikes in Iraq in early August, steamed a total of 73,400 nautical miles and was the first on the scene providing U.S…. -
news
Son Chose to ‘Believe in the Good,’ Say Parents of American Beheaded by ISIS
The parents of Peter Kassig, an American aid worker in Syria beheaded by the ISIS terrorist group, told reporters today that although “the world is broken,” it will “be healed in the end.” “Our hearts are battered, but they will mend,” Kassig’s mother, Paula, said at a news conference at Epworth United Methodist Church in… -
opinion
How Hiking Taxes Is Working Out for Japan (Hint: Not Great)
Japan is suffering another economic free fall. Following a second quarter GDP decline of an annualized 7.3 percent, this last quarter the economy in Tokyo sank again by another 1.6 percent. The land of the rising sun is looking a lot like the land of the setting sun. There are lessons here for U.S. policymakers… -
opinion
The Latest Beheading Is a Reminder U.S. Needs to Do More to Destroy Islamic State
The latest propaganda video released by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) featured the beheading of Peter Kassig, an American humanitarian aid worker who had traveled to Syria to help distressed Syrians. Kassig, who was taken hostage in October 2013 and converted to Islam while in captivity, was the third American and… -
opinion
Mexico and Mass Disappearances: The Case of the 43 Missing Students
Following the disappearance and alleged murder of 43 students in Mexico, widespread protests have engulfed many Mexican cities. In late September, the students were abducted and presumably killed in the southern state of Guerrero. The local mayor ordered authorities to intercept their buses, and six students are presumed to have been shot and killed at… -
opinion
9 Things Congress Definitely Should Not Do During Lame-Duck Session
The current lame-duck session, the period between Election Day and when the new members enter Congress, is particularly important because the Republicans will take control of the Senate in January and retain control of the House of Representatives, leaving Senate Democrats with a brief window of opportunity until they lose control of the Senate in…